Cellular telephony continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Cellular telephone networks currently exist in a variety of forms and operate using a variety of modulations, signaling techniques, and protocols, such as those found in 3G and LTE networks (3rd Generation of mobile telecommunications technology and Long Term Evolution, respectively). As consumers require more capacity, the networks usually evolve. For example, some carriers, or Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), employ the faster LTE because, as demand for data and voice increased, the MNOs needed faster networks.
And, the very different ways in which the networks operate further complicate network changes. For example, 3G networks would handle wireless communications through a base station by connecting the communications to a Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) through a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) of the MNO. In LTE, however, wireless communications through base stations are typically handled through packet switching networks so a connection to the PSTN is not necessary in many cases. In either case, each network of a MNO includes some sort of Mobile Central Office that is operable to handle the communications between wireless devices (also known as user equipment) and base stations.
Still, even with these faster networks, the demand for more data appears to outpace MNO capabilities. And, the demand can change from day to day or even hour to hour. For example, when a location experiences a rapid increase in population, such as what occurs during sporting events, the MNOs capacity can be overwhelmed. And, when an MNO's capacity is overwhelmed, communications between user equipment and base stations get dropped.
Shared base station deployments exist but they are typically isolated and relatively small. And, several challenges have prevented their adoption due to needed size to accommodate many users. For example, neighbor cell provisioning across networks with large quantities of cells is difficult. And, the integration of network to network interfaces between small cells and larger “macro” network cells is even more difficult. Moreover, when user equipment (UEs) traverses from cell to cell, the constant change in signaling significantly taxes and drains the batteries of the UEs. That is, a larger macro cell saves UE battery life because it provides more coverage control of its base stations such that the UE does not need to constantly register with as many base stations.